Taking Chances
by tazx x x
Summary: How do you tell someone you've never said more than five words to that you have feelings for them? Sanji's not too sure what the outcome would be. ZoSan. T Rated. xx


**A/N**** The idea for this came to me while I was wondering what would actually happen if someone went up to someone they didn't know, but had a (admittedly superficial) crush on, and said they'd like for them to get to know each other. This was the result. **

**Warnings:**** Un-beta'd. Light ZoSan. Angsty-teenager!Sanji. Pretty-self-conscious!Sanji. Mentions of bullying (not too heavy.) Slightly-OOC!Sanji. Background Usopp (because I like Usopp...) :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters.**

**Enjoy! xx**

~X-X~

_His hands shook as he clutched his science book in a death grip. This was it. He was finally going to confess to his long time crush. Taking a deep breath, he straitened his shoulders and walked quickly over to his green haired infatuation. Refusing to change his mind, he tapped the other man lightly on his broad, tan shoulder. _

_The other boy turned, still smiling from his conversation with his friends. "Can I help you?" He asked in confusion. Sanji shrunk back slightly, cowed in the face of his crushes ridiculous good looks and sinful voice._

"E-erm, yeah, can I talk to you for a moment?" He stuttered nervously, facing the ground when looking at the other boys rich honey coloured eyes threatened to make him melt into a puddle at his feet. Agreeing, the green haired boy said goodbye to his friends before following Sanji a few feet away down the hall. 

_The blonds heart was beating harshly against his ribcage and he clutched his book all the tighter, his stomach clenching in fear. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Sanji looked the other boy in the eye, willing his courage not to falter as it had all the other times he had attempted a confession. _

"_Look, I know we haven't ever talked much, but I've had a crush on you for a long time and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out some time so we could get to know each other? Or even just as friends? If you're interested that is." _

_The green haired boy stared down at him stoically and suddenly, Sanji felt two feet tall. His heart shot into his throat when the other boy started to speak._

"Do I know you?" 

Sanji jerked out of his day dreams when his teacher slammed a ruler down on his desk. He raised his head, nervously.

"I'd appreciate it if you could pay attention in my class, Mr Blackleg."

Blushing in humiliation, Sanji ducked his head again when the class began to snicker. His gut rolled when he realised his crush was amongst them. "Yes, Sir" He muttered, staring morosely down at his book.

_What's the point in day dreaming, anyway? It's not like it would ever happen._ He thought, glancing up through his fringe at his crush, who was grinning brightly at one of his friends. Sanji sighed. There was a chance in hell that Roronoa Zoro, captain of the kendo team and one of the most popular boys in school would ever glance his way, never mind want to date him!

And why would he? Sanji was just the schools "geek", the loner. Bullied for his higher-than-average grades and his dull looks, Sanji had managed to become one of the least popular, or rather, most unnoticed, boys at Grand Line High in the few months that he'd been going there.

_This is bullshit_, he though, tugging the neckline of his black t-shirt uncomfortably. Every time he looked at himself in the mirror before school he just wanted to throw off his dull t-shirt and jeans and replace it was a nice, crisp suit. The thick rimmed, black glasses did nothing for him either, working well with his messy fringe to cover both his eyes completely, instead of just his left one- as his usual hair style did.

As he lamented his fate, he wondered why he was doing this in the first place and came to the same conclusion every time.

Zeff.

His shitty, old fart of an adopted father had gotten sick of Sanji's constant fighting at school leading to suspensions at school and, eventually, expulsions and had finally given Sanji an ultimatum. If he could manage to not get a single detention for one whole year at his new high school, then Zeff would finally buy him his own set of cooking knives.

How was he supposed to say no to that?

So, in the time that it spent to have him switch schools, Sanji had expressed his concern (complained) to his friend Usopp that what Zeff was asking was impossible. He never actually started the fights, it was always some arsehole complaining that he'd been flirting with his girl or disrespecting one of his suits. If shitheads wanted to start something, he'd end it, simple as that. The response he'd gotten had all but baffled him.

_"Ya know, Sanji, have you ever considered its the way you act? Wait! Dont kick me! I just mean, you act cool and so people get jealous or annoyed with you so they start fights to try and prove their better. I think if you wore normal clothes, kept your head down and didn't flirt with peoples girlfriends by accident, you probably wouldn't attract so much attention."_

At the time, it had seemed like a stroke of genius. The perfect plan. And, at first, it had been. He'd kept his head down; kept to himself and he found the lack of aggressive attention refreshing. That had soon changed, however, after everyone had seen how well he could do in exams.

They had labelled him a "geek" and, when he refused to do their homework for them or something equally stupid, they would try to force him to. It made him seethe to think of all the times he'd had to let someone land a terrible punch so that he wouldn't get up and beat the shit out of them. So far, he'd managed to hold back and, though Usopp's theory had proven false, he hadn't yet gotten a single detention.

He wondered if that counted as success.

Sighing, he stood when the school bell began blaring annoyingly overhead. Lifting his bag onto is desk, he took his time putting his books away before taking out his science book. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, he strode out of the class room, book in hand, intending to get to his next class before anyone decided to try and start trouble with him.

It wasn't to be, though, and the blond wasn't even half way down the hall before someone shoved him roughly into the wall. Dropping his book, he grunted when the back of his head collided with the wall, having turned so that he wouldn't take the impact on his arm and risk damaging it. Groaning, he slid down the wall and sat, rubbing the back of his head and glaring in the direction of the laughing bastard that had shoved him.

He startled, however, when a tanned hand holding a familiar green book invaded his vision. He swallowed harshly, recognising more than just the book. His eyes followed the hand up along a muscled arm until he reached the smiling, utterly gorgeous face of his secret crush. Flushing hotly, he slowly took the book from the other boy, his eyes raking over his fine features from under his fringe.

"Thanks." He said, willing his voice not to crack.

Zoro grinned, flashing impossibly white teeth. Sanji tried to hold back a whimper. "No problem."

The blond stared wistfully at Zoro's retreating back. This reminded him all too keenly of the time when Zoro had protected him from bullies. Unable to fight back without repercussions he had taken every weak arse punch or kick; his grin never faltering. That was the first and only time he'd gotten to see the passionate fighter hiding behind Roronoa Zoro's finely honed control. He'd fallen hard and fast.

Sighing, he stood, his heart following his classmate while his body trailed reluctantly to his lesson.

–

_He wrung his fingers together nervously, breath shuddering as he awaited Zoro's answer to his confession. The other boy stared at him stoically, before sighing morosely, frowning. _

"_Sorry, I already have someone, and even if I didn't, I wouldn't date you."_

Sanji jolted out of his musings when a pan was thrown harshly at his head. Turning angrily, he snarled at a smug looking Patty.

"What the hell?! The fuck is your problem?" He growled.

The older man scoffed, crossing his arms over his burly chest. "Stop daydreaming, Eggplant, you're here to work, not pine over which dress you should wear to your next party."

Throwing a half-hearted kick in the man's direction, Sanji sighed. Patty was right, this was disgraceful. He couldn't be thinking of this while he was cooking. Deciding on a smoke to calm his frazzled nerves, Sanji quickly made his way to the back door of the Baratie.

The cool air outside hit him like a break wall, a welcome relief from the heat of the kitchens. As soon as he shut the door he was enveloped in silence, the alley behind the restaurant lit sparingly by moonlight streaming between the nearby buildings. The hustle and bustle of the kitchens behind him, it didn't take long before the sound of raised voices caught his attention.

Apparently, someone was having quite the heated argument just around the corner from him. And, of course, as anyone would, he immediately snook closer.

So he was a little nosey, it wasn't a crime!

However, all of his breath left him in a rush when he turned the corner, immediately back-pedalling in hopes that the arguing pair hadn't seen him. Why him? Why was it always him? Not even five feet away from him, his green haired crush was engaged in a shouting match with a tall, dark skinned boy he vaguely recognised.

_What's his name again? Cones? Loans? Whatever, he's not important, _he thought, leaning his head around the corner just enough to see the pair.

"It's none of your goddamn business!" Zoro shouted, his voice bordering on a growl.

The other man smirked nastily. "Nah, its not, but that doesn't mean I wont enjoy telling everyone who'll listen. I think it'll make for pretty decent entertainment."

Sanji would have liked to continue listening- shamefully interested- but at that moment, Zoro's head swerved in his direction. Their eyes locked. Sanji's heart immediately shot into is throat as those irresistible honey eyes bore into him. He stumbled backwards, flushing in embarrassment. He dashed back to the safety of the kitchens, leaning his back against the door and willing his frantic heart to slow.

So much for calming his nerves. He didn't realise until half an hour later that he hadn't even had his smoke.

–

_Heart pounding, Sanji gazed up into Zoro's eyes, hoping desperately for his feelings to be returned. However, the moment the other boys eyebrows drew together, all of his hopes shattered. _

"_Did you seriously just ask me out when you don't even know me? How desperate are you? "_

Sanji blinked slowly, having once again caught himself daydreaming about confessing to his crush. He was starting to wonder if he should just do it. Surely, his cynical wondering and self deprecation was worse than an actual rejection?

He looked up, startled, when he heard a loud crash on the other side of the cafeteria. He glanced around curiously; his eyebrows lifting in surprise when he saw Zoro (really, who else could it have been? he only ever noticed Zoro after all). The green haired boy had knocked over his chair as he stood and was scowling darkly. Sanji shivered in a way that had nothing to do with fear. Only now that the cafeteria had gone silent, did he notice that the student body had been muttering amongst each other throughout lunch, a stark contrast to the usual cacophony of noise.

"Alright," Zoro started, squaring his shoulders and looking about the room defiantly. More than one person looked away when he met their eyes. "I know you've all heard the rumours. Well, you can stop gossiping about it. It's true, I'm gay, and if you have a problem with it you're more than welcome to come tell me about it, so long as you don't mind the compulsory arse kicking."

The green haired boy sat back down, looking calm and collected and having no idea of how tremendously he had just rocked Sanji's world. Gay? Zoro was gay?

Suddenly, adrenaline began pumping through his body, his heart racing a mile a minute. Zoro was gay, and that meant there was a chance- no matter how small- of him wanting Sanji back. He swallowed dryly. Could it really happen? If he went up to Zoro now and told him his feelings, would Zoro accept them?

_No_, he thought. He couldn't get his hopes up. Just because he was gay didn't necessarily mean he'd be interested. He sighed, shoulders sagging. It was better if he just kept it to himself.

And yet, as he saw Zoro begin to leave the cafeteria, for once not being followed by one of his friends, his feet made the decision for him and, before he could tell himself not to, he was running to catch up with his classmate.

"Zoro!" He shouted down the hallway. The other boy turned, eyes lighting with surprise when he saw him. He stopped in front of the kendo champion, suddenly bereft of words.

"Can I help you?" Zoro asked, one of his eyebrows lifting. Sanji marvelled at that for a moment before shaking himself out of his thoughts. It was now or never. He was finally going to tell him. Now, if only his lips could remember how to form words.

"I-I, listen, Zoro, I know we don't really know each other but-" He stuttered, breath catching. _What's wrong with me? Man the fuck up Sanji!_ Squaring his shoulders in determination, he finally looked Zoro square in the eye, as he'd imagined he would. "I really like you, and I'd really like the chance to get to know you properly if you're..." He trailed off, voice failing him when he saw the dark look overcoming Zoro's features.

The other boys jaw clenched, his hands fisted stiffly at his sides. "You think this is funny?" He growled, sending a sharp jab of trepidation right to Sanji's gut. The blond looked down, willing the heat welling up in his eyes to go away. Oh god, why had he thought this was a good idea? "You think its funny to mock me for being gay?"

Sanji looked up sharply, "No, Zoro, I-"

"Shut up!" He did, teeth clacking as he shut his mouth quickly, his lips quirking downwards in distress. "You're just some fucking bigot, you know that? And I don't even care what you think of me, because I know, one day, you're gonna die the sad, lonely fuck that you- are you crying?" Zoro jolted, caught off guard by the tears he could just barely see dripping from Sanji's chin. Realisation struck him hard, sending ice slivering throughout his body.

Sanji didn't wait to hear what he had to say next. It was bad enough without being mocked for crying. He turned on his heel and ran as quickly as he could towards the exit.

"Shit! No- Sanji, wait!"

–

Sanji sat at the edge of the pier not far from the Baratie, his head between his legs, his arms wrapped around those. He wasn't crying, but, if Usopp hadn't been sat next to him he might have been tempted to. He heard Usopp shuffle awkwardly next to him.

"Are you sure he didn't just get the wrong idea?" Usopp asked quietly.

Sanji sighed into his knees. "It doesn't matter if he did, I've just embarrassed myself anyway." He muttered, feeling sorry for himself. He did look up however, when he heard the pounding of feet on the wooden boards of the pier, Usopp squeaking awkwardly next to him. When he saw who it was however, he groaned, slamming his forehead back onto his knees.

Did the universe hate him? Or was Zoro just especially good at showing up whether he wanted him to or not?

"Sanji..." The kendo champion sounded hesitant, but Sanji was in no rush to begin the awkward conversation that was soon to come to pass.

"What do you want, Marimo?" Zoro muttered for a moment- something about "marimo" and "how did he even know what that was"- before he took a few steps closer.

"Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Groaning, Sanji reluctantly stood. Best get this over with. With a nod to Usopp, he turned to face the other boy, who waited until Usopp was out of sight to approach Sanji, who was caught off guard when his long time crush gripped his shoulders tightly. He shivered, hating how easily his teenaged body would react to the kendo champion.

"Sanji..." He started, waiting until the boy in question lifted his head to meet his eyes, he continued. "I'm so sorry, Sanji."

_Here it comes._ Sanji thought. This is where he does the "Good Guy" thing and apologises for his behaviour, before ultimately rejecting him anyway in a way that he can't help but forgive him for. His eyes drifted downwards again, his shoulders sagging in all too familiar disappointment.

"The truth is, I was just hurt when I thought you were making fun of me, 'cause I've actually had feelings for you for a long time now." The chefs head shot up. He stared up at the other boy, wide eyed in astonishment.

"Really?" He'd deny it until the end, but his voice cracked with the hope rising within him.

Zoro smiled, inevitably melting Sanji internally. "Yeah." He whispered softly, his smile morphing into a grin. Using his grip on Sanji's shoulders, he pulled the blond into a hug, laughing happily.

Sanji cant help but grin himself, wrapping his arms around the other boys muscular torso. "You know..I kinda feel like we're in some cliché love story, what with the pier and all." He smiled when he felt Zoro's chuckle vibrate through his chest.

"WWell, we're not quite there yet." Sanji looked up quizzically, almost yelping in surprise when Zoro darted his head down to plant a quick, barely there kiss on his lips. The swordsman grinned at him, his cheeks suspiciously pink. "Now we are."

And, as Sanji reached up to get himself the proper, perfect, kiss he'd always wanted, he decided that taking a leap of faith every now and again wasn't so bad, provided there was someone to catch you at the bottom.

**END.**

–

**ALTERNATE ENDING. **

Sanji jumped when the school bell rang, marking the end to his boring science lesson. Packing his things, he sighed.

_Maybe one day._

~X-X~

**A/N**** Aaaaand it's done! This was just a little something I decided to write while bored, it nothing special, and i'm not really happy with it (I know I didn't put as much work into it as I could have) but I really wanted to write something. I may even do an M-rated sequel for it sometime.**

**The alternate ending was there because i'm quite the realist and I know very few people (if any) would go introduce themselves to their oblivious crush. If I had left it out, I would have felt like I was cheating or copping out. It can easily be ignored for all of you (like myself, admittedly) who loves a happy ending and is there purely to complete all angles of this story.**

"taking a leap of faith every now and again wasn't so bad, provided there was someone to catch you at the bottom. " **- Oh my god, this is the sappiest thing I've ever written *shoots self ***

**Thank you for reading. If you can, leave me a review, I appreciate every one I get! xx**

**-Tazx x x **


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